< PreviousSettlers Cabin Dek Hockey RinkSaturdays, April 6-May 25$65 per person for county residents $81 for non-residents Ages 4-12Each player will receive a jersey. All players must have personal equipment. Goaltending equipment will be available.Pre-registration required at alleghenycounty.us/youthsportsFor more information, email the recreation office at parkshockey@alleghenycounty.usDive into a great job!Earn $11-$13/hr plus bonuses as a lifeguard at any Allegheny County pool.For more info and full listings, visit alleghenycounty.us/lifeguardBoyce • North • Settlers Cabin • South The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services awarded St. Clair Hospital a 5-star quality rating, the highest rating available, as part of its refresh of the Hospital Compare website March 1. It was the only 5-star rating awarded in western Pennsylvania. Since 2016, CMS has published ratings of more than 4,000 Medicare-certiﬁed hospitals on the Hospital Compare website to help patients choose a provider based on documented performance in areas such as quality, patient satisfaction and patient safety. CMS calculates an overall rating using a composite of 57 metrics. CMS uses a one-to ﬁve-star scale, with ﬁve stars being the highest rating. The scores are based on hospital performance in seven categories: mortality; readmission; safety of care; patient experience; effectiveness of care; timeliness of care; and efﬁcient use of imaging. “The Hospital Compare website and Stars Rating System are valuable consumer tools that provide helpful and important information on the safety and quality of our nation’s hospitals,” said CMS administrator Seema Verma. “These decision-making tools offer great transparency on hospital performance for a wide variety of users - patients, caregivers, families, and the broader healthcare industry.” “St. Clair is very pleased to be recognized with a 5-star rating” says Diane Puccetti, vice president and chief nursing ofﬁcer at St. Clair Hospital. “It places St. Clair in the top 6.4 percent of hospitals in the United States.” “This accomplishment is a direct reﬂection of the compassion, dedication, and expertise of our nursing staff, physicians, and entire care team,” says Kaitlin Shotsberger, executive director, quality and care management at St. Clair Hospital. “St. Clair’s commitment is to put every patient ﬁrst, every single time.” “This achievement adds to St. Clair’s growing list of awards for patient safety, quality, satisfaction and value,” says John T. Sullivan, MD, senior vice president and chief medical ofﬁcer at St. Clair Hospital. “It’s a testament to the overall excellence of the organization.”%Locally SourcedLocally SourcedCMS awards 5-Star Rating to St. Clair Hospital for high quality careSTORY SUBMITTED10 • Allegheny West Magazine • March/April 2019%New in TownNew in TownSTORY AND PHOTOS SUBMITTED Two tattoo artists who have worked in the area for a combined 15 years opened a new tattoo and piercing shop in Imperial at the end of 2018. Sean “Murf” Seretti and Jason Trunick are now operating American National Tattoo in Essex Plaza at 7900 Steubenville Pike. The shop is open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. The studio offers custom tattoo, piercing and body modiﬁcation services. Walk-ins are welcome. Many locals would likely know Trunick and Seretti from the work they’ve done on their own tattoos. Others have probably inadvertently seen Trunick and Seretti’s work walking around in the area. The two specialize not only in traditional tattoo styles but also black work (or dot shading), neo-traditional, grey scale, lettering and traditional Japanese tattoos. The two say their business’ name refers to the classic tradition of tattooing that started among American naval personnel. A 2000 West Allegheny High School graduate, Trunick grew up in Imperial and studied art and design at Pittsburgh Technical Institute, which is now Pittsburgh Technical College. After school, he went to work in the oil and gas industry. Trunick says, though, that he never gave up on his art. “I was out of the art world for a long time,” he says, “but I always wanted to come back to it.” An apprenticeship in a tattoo shop steered him back and, at the same time, introduced him to Seretti, who he worked alongside for the next four years. A 2007 graduate of Moon Area High School, Seretti’s career in tattooing started when he dropped out of art school to take an apprenticeship at a shop in Pittsburgh’s South Side. He became a professional tattoo artist in 2010 and has worked in the suburbs for much of his career. He credits his mother, Michele, with encouraging his early interest in art. While working together, Seretti and Trunick came to appreciate each other’s aesthetic values. They also developed a vision of how they would run their own tattoo shop, should they ever be given the opportunity. Now that the two are on their own, their success hinges on meeting - and exceeding - the aesthetic expectations of their clients. They say they’re aiming to do just that in a clean, safe and professional environment. “We’re strictly business and personal relationships with clients,” Seretti says. While walk-ins are always welcome, making an appointment is never a bad idea. Call them at (724) 695-1412 or email them at anationaltattoo@gmail.com. To see more of Seretti’s work, follow him on Instagram at @murfoneson. Follow Trunick on Instagram at @f1fty1f1fty. Local tattoo artists Sean “Murf” Seretti and Jason Trunick recently opened American National Tattoo in the Essex Plaza in Imperial on Steubenville Pike. Some of Trunick’s work is pictured below and Seretti’s at right.Local tattoo artists open new shop in ImperialMarch/April 2019 • www.awmagazine.com • 1112 • Allegheny West Magazine • March/April 2019 The Allegheny County Airport Authority unveiled plans for its new $1.1 billion update to Pittsburgh International Airport in February. The plans involve doing away with the airport’s current landside terminal and constructing a new terminal adjacent to concourses C and D. Once ﬁnished, travelers won’t have as far to go to get to their gates or cars. The plans also call for expanded security checkpoints and will cut down on baggage wait times. The architectural renderings unveiled in February depict a spacious, two-story open-concept terminal with plenty of natural light and green spaces, both inside and outside. The plans include plenty of room for vendors and retailers, including restaurants. Its rolling, ridged roof is supposed to be reminiscent of Pennsylvania’s hilly landscape. The design team behind the plan is Gensler + HDR in association with luis vidal + architects. According to the airport authority, the project will be paid for with a combination of bonds and airport revenue, including airline fees, natural gas drilling revenue, vendor fees and parking revenue - not tax dollars. It is expected to open in 2023. Pittsburgh International Airport originally opened in 1992, at a time when the airport was still a hub for US Airways. Its history over the past decade has been one of transformation, as it has gone from a hub served largely by one airline to offering service from well over a dozen airlines offering upwards of 65 nonstop destinations. The airport has also seen increased ﬂights and passengers, year-over-year. The airport authority cites inefﬁcient ﬂow - particularly from the curb to the gate - as one of the primary motivations behind the renovation. The new design will not only do away with the current airport’s tram linking the airside and landside terminals, but also eliminate many of its numerous moving walkways and escalators. According to the authority, the project will improve the curb-to-gate experience for passengers, stabilize costs to airlines, increase sustainability and better reﬂect the Pittsburgh region. The project will also pare down the airport’s various levels that can be accessed by the traveling public to two. The top level will be for departing passengers while the bottom for arrivals. As well, the terminal will feature new baggage and check-in facilities. Adjacent to the new terminal, the authority is planning construction of a new, multi-level parking garage along with a new ground transportation center and roads. Construction is also expected to be a boon to the regional economy, with the authority estimating the project will create 11,000 direct and indirect jobs while injecting $1.66 billion into the economy. For more, visit pittransformed.com. Airport authority unveils new terminal design conceptThese architectural renderings show how the new terminal at Pittsburgh International Airport will look once construction is complete. RENDERINGS COURTESY GENSLER + HDR IN ASSOCIATION WITH LUIS VIDAL + ARCHITECTSCAround Your TownAround Your TownSTORY BY DOUG HUGHEYMarch/April 2019 • www.awmagazine.com • 13Read and share stories from Allegheny West Magazine!Current and back issues can be read at AWMagazine.com. Copy the URL from our ﬂipbook viewer to share pages via email and on social media!STORY BY DOUG HUGHEYPHOTO SUBMITTED Just like a lot of kids who grew up in Moon Township, Martin Sipe liked going to the Air Force’s Wings Over Pittsburgh airshow at the 911th Airlift Wing. In fact, the self-described “aerospace nerd” says he went to just about every single show with his dad, who studied aerospace engineering and now works as a mechanical engineer. Over the years, the show has blown the hair back of plenty spectators eager to check out some of the latest aerospace technology in use by the Air Force. It’s also been a big recruiting tool for the Air Force to drum up talent from the region. For Sipe, that strategy worked. After graduating from Pennsylvania Virtual Charter School, he went on to attend college at Penn State University on a full academic scholarship through the Air Force’s ROTC program. He graduated in December of this past year with a degree in aerospace engineering as a second lieutenant. Aerospace engineering, he says, was actually his second choice of study. His ﬁrst was electrical engineering. The problem with that, says Sipe, is electrical engineers are in high demand in the Air Force. If he’d graduated with such a degree, it would have likely deﬁned his career trajectory and Sipe has only ever wanted to be one thing: a ﬁghter pilot. Starting this spring, Sipe will get a shot at realizing that dream when he heads to Fairchild Air Force Base in Washington State to complete the introductory training that all military pilots must complete. He’ll go through survival training and complete an initial ﬂight-training course. If that goes well, he’ll then head to Sheppard Air Force Base in Wichita Falls, Texas in order to take part in the Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training Program. He’s already been accepted into the program, pending completion of the ﬁrst phase of his training. In ENJJPT, Sipe will train alongside other prospective ﬁghter pilots from NATO countries. He’ll start out ﬂying a T-6 Texan turbo-prop plane and learn some maneuvers and formations before moving on to a T-38 supersonic ﬁghter jet. From there, if he does well and ﬁnishes with a good standing in the class, he could go on to ﬂy one of the most advanced ﬁghter jets in the world. Given his choice, Sipe says he’s hoping to ﬂy an F-15E Strike Eagle because of its two-man crew, redundant engines and undefeated record in aerial combat. According to Air Force pilot Maj. Charlie Baker, getting selected for ENJJPT is no small deal. Baker, who ﬂies a C-130 cargo plane out of the 911th and is beginning training on the C-17, says most prospective pilots are happy just to get selected for any form of pilot training at all. A rariﬁed number are selected for ENJJPT, which fast tracks them for ﬁghter pilot training. “It’s a big deal to get picked for pilot training,” says Baker. “It’s a huge deal for ENJJPT.” Baker, who assists in the Wings Over Pittsburgh show, says he’s met a few ﬁghter pilots from the area but not too many. “Whenever we can get a ﬁghter pilot from the area that’s a great thing,” he says. In addition to the Wings Over Pittsburgh show, Sipe says another big inﬂuence on his current career path was his involvement with the Civil Air Patrol. The program, run out of the 911th Airlift Wing, gives civilians the opportunity to learn about the Air Force, including ranks, marches, customs, courtesies, uniforms and more. It was also through the Civil Air Patrol that Sipe got to enroll in an academy that let him get his ﬁrst 10 hours of ﬂight time piloting a Cessna 172. “The ﬁrst time I did that I knew what I was going to do the rest of my life,” he says about the experience. He says he also credits the Civil Air Patrol with helping him land his ROTC scholarship. In addition to Civil Air Patrol, Sipe was a longtime member of Boy Scout Troop 198. He says he joined when he was young enough to be Cub Scout and topped out as an Eagle Scout. His project entailed painting Riverdale Church. He also ran track for Moon Area High School. Moon Township native Martin Sipe, who recently graduated from Penn State University’s ROTC program as a second lieutenant, stands next to a T-38 jet at the Wings Over Pittsburgh show at the 911th Airlift Wing in 2017. Sipe is on track to train in the same model of plane in the Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training Program later this year.14 • Allegheny West Magazine • March/April 2019CAround Your TownAround Your TownMoon Township native heading to top ﬁghter jet training program Moon Township and Venezuela may be 2,500 miles apart,but they share a lot of the same values. Strong communities, democracy and freedom are all things that people from the two locations share a love for, and hope to see protected. As Venezuela faces a humanitarian crisis, however, these values are being tested daily. The people of Venezuela are ﬁghting for their future, hoping to make their community a strong and stable environment for their families. For Moon Township resident Maria Calcano and her family, this conﬂict is more than just a political conﬂict in an exotic country. It’s a struggle for the future of their home. Originally from Venezuela, the Calcano family moved to Moon Township in 2014. Joining the local community, they moved so Maria could receive an education in a safer environment than what was available at home. Recently, this writer interviewed Calcano for Robert Morris University’s student-run radio station, RMU Radio. “I didn’t go back to Venezuela until 2016,” said Calcano. “After that two-year frame, I was shocked because the country I left looked totally unfamiliar. A lot of my friends had left the country, so it felt different. It didn’t feel like home.” Now a senior early childhood and special education major at Robert Morris University, Calcano is close to receiving her degree and beginning her career. However, many opportunities available to college graduates here are still not available in her home country. “There are alot of things that [Americans] have and take for granted,” said Calcano. “Simple things like three meals a day and wasting food. I know there is hunger here, but not as drastic. You see people in Venezuela looking in the trash for food.” The Venezuelan economy slowly began to decline after the election of President Nicolás Maduro in 2013. The government relied on oil exports to fund the economy but, as the price of oil began to plummet, the economy took a massive blow. The Venezuelan currency became nearly worthless, which led to a scarcity of food and medicine. Calcano, who has friends still in the country, is able to hear ﬁrst-hand accounts of the problems in Venezuela. “I see the news, and I have a couple of friends still back at home, and they say it’s getting worse,” said Calcano. “There’s no food or medical supplies, so we see how a lot of people in hospitals are dying. They don’t have medicine and are the ones being affected the most.” There is a new hope for Calcano and the people of Venezuela. On Jan. 12, Juan Guaido was declared the true president of Venezuela. Previously the head of the National Assembly, Guaido is challenging Maduro’s rule and hoping to bring about social and economic changes in the country. Receiving support from various countries, including the U.S., the revolution under Guiado hopes to rebuild Venezuela and welcome back those who have left. They also hope to reinstate democratic checks and balances in the federal government in order to prevent similar situations from occurring in the future. Calcano is hoping to spread awareness of the movement and to encourage people in the U.S. to get involved. By attending rallies, helping relief efforts and spreading public awareness, she hopes to see people take a new look at Venezuela. “There is a lot of organizations around [Pittsburgh] that are collecting stuff,” said Calcano. “They are sending it back to Venezuela, so that is one way to help. And just being aware of what is happening. The U.S. got involved, so I think it’s important to know.” Venezuela is still home for Calcano, so she isn’t going to give up on the country. Instead, she wants to see people in her situation return home and help rebuild the nation. “I want to have the same beneﬁts in Venezuela that everybody has here,” said Calcano. “I want people to have the ability to graduate, get a job and live on your own. There is no way that if I went back home I would be able to live on my own or get a job. I hope that everyone that is outside of the country for education, when things get better, can all go back and help rebuild the country with the inputs we have gained from all over the world.”Garret Roberts is a sophomore at Robert Morris University, where he serves as the assistant arts and entertainment editor to the university’s news website, RMU Sentry Media. He is also a radio host for RMU Radio. Venezuelan RMU student reﬂects on country’s crisis and hope for futureCAround Your TownAround Your TownSTORY AND PHOTO BY GARRET ROBERTSMaria Calcano is pictured with her father, Pedro Calcano. March/April 2019 • www.awmagazine.com • 15 Moon Township will get a miracle in 2019. The community will become the seventh in the tri-state region and one of hundreds around the country to house a Miracle League baseball ﬁeld. The new ﬁeld is being constructed with the goal of serving athletes with special needs in communities west of Pittsburgh. Started in Georgia in 2000, the Miracle League’s mission is to offer a safe and inclusive environment for all of those with disabilities who wish to participate in the sport of baseball. The effort to build a ﬁeld in Moon Township was spearheaded by Mike and Christina Magulick, a local couple with two children, their younger of whom is 4 and has a rare genetic disorder, 5P minus. The Magulicks say they were moved to begin the project largely because they had difﬁculty ﬁnding playgrounds and recreation areas that were suitable for both of their sons to enjoy together. Playgrounds that accommodated Luke, their younger son, were not challenging enough for his older brother Jack. Areas that appealed to Jack did not contain enough safety measures for Luke. They also found that most restroom facilities at public play areas were not conducive to persons with disabilities. Mike and Christina both grew up in sports-oriented families. Mike participated in hockey and golf at Bethel Park High School while Christina ran cross country and track for West Allegheny. As such, they wanted both of their children to enjoy the same opportunities. When the idea began to form to get a Miracle Field to come to the area, Mike was already coaching players at the Miracle League facility in Upper St. Clair. As the model for those with disabilities to play baseball had already been well-established by the Miracle League - and the Pirates Charities had been an integral force in building existing ﬁelds in the area - the Magulicks chose a Miracle League ﬁeld as their special project. Though the organization is a national entity, each individual ﬁeld is managed as an independent franchise. Because the Pirates Charities sponsor more Miracle League ﬁelds than any other Major League Baseball team in the country, the Magulicks ﬁrst sought the group’s support, as well as that of Moon Township. Mike stated that once the Miracle League headquarters learned that the Pirates were involved, the application process became easy. The Magulicks moved forward with the project and established a nine-member board of directors. According to Mike, the timing of their decision couldn’t have been better. The Pirates were looking to establish a ﬁeld west of the city as three other Miracle League ﬁelds were already operating north, east and south of Pittsburgh. Those ﬁelds are located in Cranberry Township, Murrysville and the South Hills. Additionally, Moon Township was in the process of making improvements and renovations to Moon Park to commemorate its 50th anniversary. The township agreed to donate acreage for the ﬁeld near the park entrance on Ewing Road and Pirates Charities gave a signiﬁcant donation to kick start the project. Most of the additional funding and support to date has been provided by several large sponsors, including FedEx Ground, Robert Morris University, Moon Township, The Howard Hanna Free Care Foundation, the Edith Trees Trust, the Buncher Foundation, CJL Engineering, Lennon Smith Souleret Engineering Inc., 84 Lumber, ServiceLink, Zamagias Properties and People’s Gas, which has acquired the naming rights. An important connection to the project has been Mike’s personal relationship with former Steeler running back Rocky Bleier. As Mike had previously coached Bleier’s nephew in hockey, Bleier offered the services of his construction company, RBVetCo, for the new facility. Mike said the quality of Bleier’s ﬁrm was the main reason they chose his company, but the couple also appreciated that RBVetCo has experience constructing facilities for persons with disabilities and is an employer of disabled veterans. Acme Door & Hardware, Inc. has donated a considerable amount of building materials for the project such as specialized doors and baby changing tables. Mike stressed that all the restrooms at the Moon Township ﬁeld will be completely ADA-compliant and will have state-of-the-art features, including showers, height-adjustable full size changing tables, multiple level sinks and water fountains, area for service dogs, and wave technology on some doors. They are also working with experts to help address and incorporate accommodations for those with sensory problems. A groundbreaking ceremony was held last October and Mike is conﬁdent that baseball will be played at the new ﬁeld this fall. The playground area likely will not be ready for use until 2020. Though the project is slightly behind schedule, he stated that several new companies have offered to provide in-kind donations and that over 200 bricks have been sold as a fundraising effort. Bricks with engraved names and messages will be used at the entrance to the ﬁeld and may be purchased for $250 apiece. In-kind donations that would be helpful for companies to provide at this time, stated Mike, are cement blocks, fencing, plumbing and building supplies. A recent public service announcement donated by Edgar Snyder and Associates for the project featured not only Rocky Bleier but also former Pirates manager Jim Leyland (ﬁeld spokesman) and well-known local attorney Edgar Snyder. The Magulicks, who are expecting a third son in June, will be responsible for managing the leagues once the facility is complete. They will meet with life skills and special needs teachers at area schools to recruit athletes. The couple also plans to contact facilities such as Allegheny Valley School, The School 16 • Allegheny West Magazine • March/April 2019CAround Your TownAround Your TownPeople’s Gas Park Miracle League Field on track for fall baseball gamesThe Pirate Parrot, Allegheny Councilman Tom Baker, Allegheny Councilman Sam Demarco, Edgar Snyder, Michele Santacolia, Bob Nutting, Jack Magulick, Mike Magulick, Luke Magulick, Rocky Bleir and Christina Magulick break ground on the People’s Gas Park Miracle League Field in Moon Township. PHOTO SUBMITTEDSTORY BY JILL BORDOMarch/April 2019 • www.awmagazine.com • 17at McGuire Memorial, and The Verland Foundation to establish adult leagues. Rather than a dirt inﬁeld, the Miracle Field’s diamond is comprised of a latex-free specialized surface. Each player on the team will get an opportunity to bat once per inning, reach all of the bases safely and have a chance at scoring before the inning is over. All games will be three innings long and both teams will always win. When the new Miracle League ﬁeld is completely operational, it will host not only baseball games for persons with disabilities but also soccer, ﬂag football, golf and yoga. According to Mike, the Moon ﬁeld will require several hundred volunteers to serve as “buddies” for league athletes. Mike stressed that the singular goal of the Miracle League organization is “making the athletes the star for the day.” He emphasized that all families go through different emotions with a special needs diagnosis, but that access to such a facility “eliminates the loss of not being able to participate” in team sports. “These athletes spend countless hours in therapy learning skills and milestones that most others reach with ease. Soon, the athletes will be able to show their skills, so the community better be ready to cheer these great athletic accomplishments,” said Mike. To learn more about the project and fundraising efforts to support it, visit miraclesinmoon.org. Those considering becoming volunteers for Miracle League sporting events should email Mike and Christina at miraclesinmoon@gmail.com.An architectural rendering shows the new Miracle Field in Moon Township. PHOTO COURTESY AVON GRAF ARCHITECTS It’s been almost 10 years since Moon Township native Douglas Wynn has shared any of his artwork with the general public. The last time the artist showed was in 2010 at Penn Gallery, in a show billed as featuring the top 100 artists in Pittsburgh. That same year he showed at the Carnegie Museum of Art with the Associated Artists of Pittsburgh for its 100th anniversary. Wynn was at one time a member of the organization’s executive board and chaired similar events. Following those shows, though, Wynn says he got tired of the hustle and bustle. The sculptures and paintings he’s created since, he explains, he did more for his own enjoyment than anything. “It’s just a nice getaway, a reprieve from running around like a chicken with your head cut off,” he says. Thanks in part to some coaxing from Wynn’s friend Cindy Gilberti, who he’s known since they were both attending Moon Area High School, Wynn is currently showing his work again. His sculptures and paintings are being featured at Gilberti’s gallery, Gilberti Fine Arts, and next door at the Anchor and Anvil Coffee Bar in Coraopolis through March. Wynn, who has spent some time teaching sculpture, painting, drawing and art history at two community colleges, says the show will likely be his last. Visitors walking into the gallery may do a double take at the sign that says “Please do touch the sculptures” but, yes, interaction is encouraged with Wynn’s pieces, many of which are carved out of chunks of tree trunks and branches. He treats the sculptures with a combination of linseed oil and polyurethane to enhance the textures of the wood. “People just love to come in and touch it,” Gilberti says, referring to a ﬁve-foot tall hunk of tree trunk that is sort of the centerpiece of the show and that visitors can actually walk into. “It’s neat when you see people appreciate the interaction between the art and viewer. That’s cool.” Texture is important to Wynn, both in his paintings and sculptures. Many of his pieces get their textures from elements in the environment where they were created. Even his paintings have debris like rocks, dirt and insects incorporated right into the paint. “Frequently you will see ﬁngerprints and dirt on my drawings and paintings,” his artist’s statement reads. “This is intentional as it captures what was happening in that moment in time during my creative process.” Though in the past Wynn has worked from photographs, he says he almost never does so now and paints outdoors whenever possible, even when the temperature dips down to around 20 degrees. Particularly nasty weather is the only thing that drives him into the safety of his garage. “I’ve been out there in almost blizzard conditions,” he says. “I could be outside and working in that. If you enjoy that, and most people don’t, there’s something really in depth that you start to understand. It has a subconscious effect on you, whether it’s wildlife or what, you can incorporate that into your work.” For Wynn, incorporating nature into his paintings isn’t just subconscious. Rather, wildlife and nature really are in his paintings, in the form of pine needles, bugs, rocks and dirt. “The surface becomes more of a sculptural thing,” he says. “It started out with doing paintings at McConnells Mill. I’d go down into the gorge and try to come out with a wet canvas. I’d have bugs and pine needles in it and I’d try to get them out of there but after awhile I’d look at it and say, ‘That’s just part of it.’” For one of his day jobs, Wynn used to paint houses, which is where he got the idea to stretch his old drop cloths over stretcher bars and use them as canvases for his paintings. While working at the paint counter at Lowes, he got the idea to collect paint chips left behind in the paint can shakers and work those into his paintings. For his series of paintings currently on display at Anchor and Anvil, Wynn depicts the rehabilitation of Point State Park, construction equipment and all. To paint, he set up an easel right in the middle of the construction site and even worked debris into the paint. Just like everyone else there, he donned a hard hat and got the blessing of the foreman to do his work. “It’s always a textural or three-dimensional thing and it sometimes crosses over into painting,” he says about the paintings. “There’s no deﬁnite line in between the pieces of my work. You can look at it and call it a painting or a sculpture.” The centerpiece of this current show - the giant tree trunk - can be described as a study in textural contrast. Wynn coated the inside with polyurethane to give it a smooth, shiny ﬁnish, which he compares to the inside of a mussel shell. The outside he coated in linseed oil to lock in the dark, matte color and rough, weathered texture. Wynn says the trunk sat in his driveway with a tarp over it for four years before he decided to cut the inside out of it with a chainsaw to make a table for his son. He likens the process he went through to that of Inuits who would carry around a piece of bone or wood, waiting for the inner shape to emerge before carving it. “Many a well-known artist has said you have to look at a piece of material to see what’s in it,” he says. “I used to think that was crazy or hogwash.” He says he’s changed his thinking in regard to that philosophy. STORY BY DOUG HUGHEYDouglas Wynn’s wood and copper sculptures are a study in textural contrasts and on display at Gilberti Fine Arts in Coraopolis. PHOTOS SUBMITTED18 • Allegheny West Magazine • March/April 2019CAround Your TownAround Your TownDouglas Wynn showing for last time at Gilberti Fine Arts Since this show will likely be his last, anything that emerges for Wynn in the future will probably remain with him. He says, going forward, creating artwork for its own sake will be enough for him. For hours and more upcoming shows, visit gilbertiﬁneart.com. The gallery features a different artist every couple of months. Join us at one of our two locations, Bridgeville or RobinsonCall: 412-257-2000 | Visit: www.thomasdance.comLooking Forward to Brighter Days! Come dance with us this Summer!-Magical Themed Camps- Patient Teachers-Smiles, Hugs, & GigglesThese photos show details of two of Douglas Wynn’s paintings that are hanging in the Anchor and Anvil Coffee Bar in Coraopolis. The series depicts construction at Point State Park. The paintings even have debris from the site worked right into them. PHOTOS BY DOUG HUGHEYNOWHIRING!Oces located inRobinson Twp. & Monaca412.494.2000 ExpressPros.comFull-time and part-time job opportunities in a variety of positions: Administrative, Professional, Industrial, Skilled Labor, Skilled Trades, and Skilled Professional.Call to schedule your interview! No Fees!March/April 2019 • www.awmagazine.com • 19Next >